Tyler Ankrum Breaks Winless Drought in Truck Series Return to Rockingham

Entering Friday at Rockingham Speedway, all the talk was how fast the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitors would go in the series' return to "The Rock." When the checkered flag fell, the talk was instead about how far Tyler Ankrum could go.

RACE RESULTS: Black's Tire 200 at Rockingham

Ankrum expertly managed his fuel mileage to win the Black's Tire 200 on Friday afternoon, his second career win in the Craftsman Truck Series and his first since 2019.

With a 76-lap green flag run to end the race, strategy was split throughout the field. Some drivers pitted to break up the stretch, including leader Corey Heim with 30 laps to go. Others, such as Ankrum, attempted to make the 76-lap run without a trip to pit road.

Not everyone who gambled on the fuel mileage went the distance, but Ankrum led the final 29 laps with enough fuel in his No. 18 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet to spare for a celebratory burnout on the frontstretch to take the victory.

It was anything but a straightforward day for Ankrum, who fell a lap down early after bouncing off the wall in the opening laps. However, that did not derail the day for the 24-year-old from California as he snapped a 130-race winless drought.

"I can't thank these guys enough," said Ankrum. "For the way this day started, going a lap down and Mark [Hillman, crew chief] making the pit call to get the track position back and saving fuel, man. Coming to six to go, I knew we were five short, I was hoping I saved enough and we did."

The fuel mileage gamble made for a nerve-wracking end to the afternoon, as Ankrum held his breath, hoping his truck would maintain power to the checkered flag. However, he knew he had done everything in his power to save fuel over the green-flag run.

"I know being five or six laps short, that's six miles. You've just got to be able to give up everything. I found something there where I was pretty much lifting 60 percent down the straightaway, but I was able to draft off of [Matt] Crafton and a couple of the other guys and be able to save that way.

"It's just surreal. I feel like this is how it went down in Kentucky in 2019. Here we are now with the check."

While Ankrum celebrated his victory, Heim wondered what might have been after surrendering the lead to come down pit road for fuel. Heim led 52 of the race's 200 laps, more than any other driver in the field, but finished eighth as the first truck one lap down.

"I thought we were really, really good all day," said Heim. "We had a really good Tundra TRD Pro. Huge thank you to Toyota and Safelite for all their efforts, TRICON Garage. I felt like if we had the track position, we would have been in really good shape from the very start.

"Just not a good qualifying effort on my end and it was an uphill battle all day. I don't exactly know what was going on the last 40 laps there. I just know we pitted and it seems like a lot of guys were able to make it on fuel. It's unfortunate, just kind of a weird deal in the last stage. I've just got to be better on my part to qualify better and get track position."

Jake Garcia finished second after earning his first career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole earlier on Friday. Daniel Hemric, Rajah Caruth and Grant Enfinger rounded out the top five.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series contests its first event at Rockingham since 2004 on Saturday, April 19. The green flag waves on the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 presented by Black's Tire at 4 p.m. ET, with coverage on The CW Network, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

-Photo credit: Andrew Coppley, HHP for Chevy Racing

Black's Tire 200 Unofficial Results